When I bought my bike I didn't buy the bike for any other reason than I wanted one and it was the cheapest I could find that seemed to do the job.

After years of trouble with my knees I honestly didn't expect to own it longer than a season and looked at it as a cheap experiment that I could sell for about half what i paid for it and I'd be finished with this foolishness.

As it turns out I was wrong. My knees have improved if anything, I use the bike at least once a week to go to work, I use it nearly all the time outside work hours for small journeys to shops, to the pool, to the gym and so on.

Trouble is I never really liked my bike. I thought the colour was awful and I don't like the look of it. I am surprised I bother to take care of it and can only guess this is because I enjoy using it so much.

I was half thinking I might replace it. After all it is coming into the middle of the second summer with it. I am using it a lot more than I intended. The bike was cheap as I said and I kind of think aybe I should get something I do like.

However is it right or enough to justify changing just because I don't like the colour scheme? I considered getting it painted, but I know me and this will only be a stop gap at best. So thoughts and suggestions on evaluating my needs better this time around.

My current bike is a Schwinn Le Tour Elite, and no I didn't buy it as it had a french word in the name. It was really cheap at the time and seemed great value to me.

I've been churning through this kind of scenario for a few weeks lately. I'm trying to reduce my consumption of stuff - especially new stuff - but just about always have the N+1 urge.

It does seem like you've already made up your mind, but perhaps you could just keep riding your current bike and divert your mind to more important thoughts. I'd like to be able to do this, but I'm not very good at it.

If you do "upgrade", I'd make sure you got something really good. Not necessarily good as in flash, but good as in quality. Something that will last. Something that provides significant satisfaction when used. And I wouldn't want to dispose of the old bike. Perhaps it could be modified to carry a load of shopping easily or kept ridable for guests. Or given to a potential new cyclist who will come on here in a year or two asking whether they should get a new bike...

Work our what you like, be it a particular brand, frame material, niche style or maybe you want belt-drive and then google and visit bike stores and see what you can get within your budget. You will know bike love when it happens!

I'll be playing devil's advocaat, here (sarkastiline warning) You don't have to like your bike, you don't even have to love it.It's an instrument, "A means to an end" ... to get somewhere, to get fitor even to get to be a champion. It's never, and I mean never, a thing of envy.(or pose value, if it is, your dreaming)You gotta hate your bike, because it hurts you. If not, your not doing enough. Your next bike, is like a new girlfriend, at first you like her.Later you want to change her, and in time, you want to get rid of her.And remember your bike, was probably ridden before, and others, over time, got to hate that bike, too. (sorry, ladies, I'm using the feminine pronoun form, as with ships, for the bike)So it's OK, I never liked my bikes, either.IHMB

Lone Rider- I rode on the long, dark road... before I danced under the lights.

I was in the same boat. Bought a bike (Sectuer Elite) that looked good, seemed to have a good brand rep, was only slightly out of my budget and I just wanted a bike. PRONTO!

After a few weeks riding, I realized I didn't really like it. The "sit up begging dog" look of the frame did nothing to excite me and as I researched more, I realized I had umpteen more options in the same price range. I had also begun to want to ride more for leisure, aside from the daily commute.

So I bought the Felt. And I effing love it!! No test ride, bought sight unseen, I reckon I hit the jackpot. This bike fits me in every way possible. And given I have seen only one other in my area (an F3), it has some exclusivity about it.

The strange bit though...now that I ride the Felt on weekends and occasional work days, I actually look forward to being on the Specialized for the daily commute. It's comfortable, fast enough and does the job. It is a really awesome bike and I am very lucky to have two bikes that suit me and my requirements so well.